Country Life

If the blackcap fits

‘Yet another old name for the blackcap is the king of the warblers’

THE ears need a moment to retune on a woodland stroll in early spring. The sun is out and the birds are busy. After the silence of winter, hearing them again is invigorating. At first, the brightness of their voices is almost overwhelming. Like an orchestra going full pelt, the song variations of individual species are lost in the mass of sound. Only once the dial is reset do you really start to listen.

Of course, most of the players turn out to be the old regulars: blackbirds, wrens, great

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